Watch dial projecting device using reflected light



N 1, s. LOEWE ETAL 2,486,425

WATCH DIAL PROJECTING DEVICE USING REFLEC'IED L IGHT Filed June 26, 1946 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS SIETGMUND LOEVVE BERNARD LOWE NOV 1, 5 EWE E L 2,86,425

WATCH DIAL PROJECTING DEVICE USING REFLECTED LIGHT Fil'ed June 26, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS SIEGMUNO LOEWE BERNARD Low:

BYi 8 ATTORNEY WATCH DIAL PROJEC'I'ING DEVICE USING REFLECTED LIGHT Siegmund Loewe and Bernard Lowe, Yonkers, N. Y.

Application June 26, 1948, Serial No. 678,459

Claims. 1

ever, in order to avoid confusion, required the use of specially constructed timepieces.

Such devices either use for the projection direct light sent through a freely arranged transparent dial, or they use light reflected by a dial' on which the figures are reversed, and on which the hands turn from right to left.

In distinction therefrom our invention makes possible the use of regular timepieces, wrist watches, or the like in connection with the use of reflected light.

This is achieved by the use of optical means for reversing twice the sides of the picture.

Other features and advantages of our invention will become apparent from the followin specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, showing an embodiment of our invention by way of example.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 a schematic front elevation of a bed and a night table with the new projector in a bedroom, which is shown in perspective;

Figure 2 an elevation of the new projector;

Figure 3 a side elevation of the projector as seen from the right side of Figure 2;

Figure 4 a plan view of Figure 2; v

Figure 5 a vertical section on the line 5-5 01 Fig. 3;

Figure 6 a horizontal section on the line 8-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 a section on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

The projector 8 (Figure 1) is located on a night table 9 standing beside a bed I 0. A bed switch I i of the kind used in hospitals is operable by the occupant [2 of the bed for operatin the projector and projecting onto the ceiling l3 an enlarged picture H of the dial of a watch or other time piece used in connection with the projector as ex-= plained below.

The projector has an opaque casing IS with a top consisting of two inclined plates l6 and H forming together a roof-like structure.

The plate It has an opening I8 above which is located a wrist watch l9 or other time piece with its dial I88 facing downward. The watch is attached by clips 20 or other suitable means to a lid 2larticulated by a hinge 22 and, therefore, swingable for the purpose of easy attachment of the watch.

For illuminating the dial a source of light 28 is provided and is under control of the switch II.

The light rays, indicated by dot and dash lines, are directed from the source 28 by a reflector 238 and a lens I onto the dial, are reflected by the dial, and are intercepted by a mirror 24 arranged near the bottom of the casing.

The mirror reflects the light to a lens or objective 25 in a. tube 26 directed substantially at right angles to the roof plate i l. The objective 25 projects the enlarged picture M of the dial onto the ceiling B3.

The mirror H reverses the sides of the picture, and the objective 25 again reverses them. The result is a picture I 4 with unreversed sides and pointers moving in the usual clockwise" sense.

The described inclinations of the parts It, I7, and 25 make it possible, as shown in Figure 1, to have the picture it in the most convenient location substantially vertically above the person 52 although the projector 8 on the night table is considerably offset laterally.

In devices of this kind it is very important to exclude direct light from the source 28 or any stray light not only from the bedroom but alsofrom the mirror 24 and objective 25 as such light would outshine and weaken the picture It.

For this purpose the inside of the casing is blackened and opaque partitions 2! and 218 are provided intercepting such direct light.

For the same reason it is advisable also to exclude from projection the shiny bright metal frame of the dial.

This is accomplished by a mask or shield frame 28 conformed to the dial frame, covering it from below, and having a dull dark or black bottom face (Figure 5).

For enabling the projector to project the picture onto a vertical wall instead of onto the celling the projector 8 may be tilted from the position shown in full lines in Figure 5 to the position 8', shown in dot and dash lines in that figure.

For fixedly determining the latter position the casing l5 may be provided with one or more adjustable feet or proturberances,,projections, stops, or the like 29 which, in the position 8' of the projector come to rest on the top surface of the night table 9. By these means the picture can be projected onto any desired wall, .partition, screen, or the like. 4

In the just described position 8 of the projector the formerly upright tube 28 has the substantially horizontal position 28' in which the projector is adapted to project the picture onto a vertical wall instead of onto the ceiling.

The general term wall, as used in the following claims, is meant to cover as well the ceiling as the upright walls of the room and a screen.

For focusing purposes the relative distances between the watch, mirror, and lens may be changed. This may be accomplished e. g. by providing the objective 2! or tube 26, respectively, with the usual slot and pin device 30, it (Figure 2).

Of course, instead of the optical system shown other systems with curved mirrors, prisms, and the like may be used.

The new projector can also be fitted to serve as a protecting device making unnecessary the usual watch stands, receptacles, and the like.

What We claim is:

1. A projector for projecting the reflected picture of the dial a standard type time piece onto a wall, said projector comprising in combination a casing, an oblique wall of said casing having an opening, means for holding a time piece with its dial exposed, through said opening,

to the interior of the casing, an electric bulb located in said casing directly opposite to and remote from said opening so as to send light rays, at an angle of much more than 45 relative to said wall, directly to said opening through a free passageway, a projection objective closely adjacent to said opening, and a plane mirror closely adjacent to said bulb but remote from said opening, said mirror being arranged symmetrical to and half -way between said opening and objective and inclined at an angle of much more than 45 to the optical axis of said objective and to the light rays reflected by said dial.

2. A watch dial projector as claimed in claim 1 comprising means for shielding said objective 4 and mirror against direct light rays from said bulb.

3. A projector as claimed in claim 2 comprising also means for shielding said mirror against light reflected by the frame of said dial.

4. A projector as claimed in claim 1 in which the optical axis of said objective is inclined obliquely to the vertical so as to offset said picture laterally from the zone vertically above said casing and in which said casing has an oblique root inclined oppositely to the direction oi inclination of said objective and with an Opening for exposing the dial of a time piece to the interior of said casing, and means for holding said time piece on said root above said opening.

5. A projector as claimed in claim 4 comprising further a lid, hinged to said casing and adapted to overlap the zone of said root containing said opening, and means attached to said lid for holding said time piece on said roof above said opening.

SIEGMUND LOEWE. BERNARD LOWE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 813,836 Smith Feb. 27, 1906 835,431 Hughes Nov. 6. 1906 1,074,260 Guerrant Sept. 30, 1913 1,616,742 Harriett Feb. 8, 1927 2,201,376 Prins May 21, 1940 2,351,238 Tueber June 13, 1944 

